Author Archives: michelle.segev

Having gone to a school with double the curriculum of the norm for middle and high school, I expected college to be a piece of cake. I was used to going to school from 7AM until 5:30PM, and taking about 12 classes. The problem here is that I feel I’m not being challenged enough here in Baruch, so I don’t see a reason to work hard. I slack because I can’t take half of my professors seriously, and I still feel like I’m in my senior year of high school. I’m used to a high stress level, which is what helps me get things done, and my classes don’t provide me with that. I’ve heard that in college, professors couldnt give a rat’s ass (excuse my french) about their students, but I didnt think that would be such a precise statement. I had one instance where I missed an exam for a family wedding in Vegas and my professor wouldnt let me retake it- even though I was warned, this insensitive attitude still took me by surprise.

I feel as if I didn’t do so well this semester. To be honest, I didn’t apply myself. I know that if I really cared about these classes and actually tried to do well, my grades would reflect that.

If I could redo this semester, I’d read the articles for my sociology class ahead of time as well as the chapters for my politics class. They’d prepare me for class more, encourage me to actually participate, and would grant me some extra points on exams.

I dont think I’ve changed much as a person since I started at Baruch College, but I’ve been exposed to many different religions and cultures that I haven’t been surrounded by before.

People say that now is the time of our lives. We’re supposed to enjoy every minute, because we’ll never get this time back. This is the time we’ll be figuring out who we are, what we want in life, and all that we aspire to be. Some people seem to have it all figured out: their major, where they want to attend graduate school, the whole shabang. I, on the other hand, don’t. I say I want to go into business, but who’s to say that I won’t change my mind in the next four years?

We all have plenty of time to figure out who we want to be, what we want to do and the places we want to see. There isn’t much need for all of this pressure to decide it all now. I have no doubt we’ll all figure it out soon enough. Let’s focus on making the best out of this time in our lives, and we’ll figure it all out along the way.

The way one perceives themselves isn’t the way others do. I see myself as a person who is different. I like to be able to fit in, but not be part of the crowd. I don’t agree with everything that those around me do, but I do respect their decisions. I’m a person that believes in “Live and let live”; I’ll do what’s good for me, you’ll do what’s good for you, and we’ll both be happy and accepting of the other. I think that life can sometimes be a math problem. Cheesy as it sounds, it applies. Just like in a math problem, life presents you with many ways of getting to the same result or answer. Everyone has a different method of doing things, and others should respect that. And I think that many times people are too hard on themselves and those around them. People make mistakes; being upset about them for too long won’t do you any justice. Accepting what has happened, and trying to solve the problem is the way to move on with your life. I see life as a constant flow of obstacles and change, and one always needs to adapt to their new surroundings.

My top three concerns have got to be making new friends, getting a good schedule and not picking bad professors, and my procrastination. Normally making friends is a piece of cake for me. I’ve moved many times in my life and always spend my summers in different places, so I’m used to adapting. For some reason, I’m finding it harder to do in Baruch. I think it’s due to the fact that the students commute and there isn’t an actual campus to hang out on and we can’t exactly dorm (unless you count student housing-which, in some cases, can be 70 blocks away from Baruch). In each class, there are different people. It’s hard to become real friends with someone when you hardly see them, there’s an age difference, and even when you do see them, they might be on the other side of the room. I’m hoping that it’ll get easier as time progresses. I’m really nervous for registering for the spring semester. I’m worried that I’ll register after a whole lot of people and get stuck with a really bad schedule. And finally, my procrastination is my biggest concern of all. I’ve gone two years without properly studying for an exam or doing my homework until the due date or the period before that class. I’m so worried that it’ll get out of hand, and I’m trying to take care of this really bad habit.

Baruch is very different from my high school. I went to a Jewish religious school for seven years, so I forgot what it’s like to wear pants every day. It’s so weird being able to come to school in shorts and a tank top, and I love it! I like the fact that things are being taught from a secular point of view (I mean with the classes I’m taking they have to be). It’s different not having a religious connection in my classes, but I find it interesting. In college, everything is so out in the open and we can be so straight forward with our teachers, and I find that swell! I love having people of different races, religions, and ethnicities in all of my classes-it’s so refreshing.

I can’t say that I know how this year will change me but I’m hoping that it’ll make me more responsible and let me think more independently.